1. Field of Invention
The disclosed invention is an improved cable tie for forming a plurality of wires, cables or the like into a bundle having a spring section which enables the obtaining of correct tension and tightening of the bundle during attachment, loosening the cable tie by a measured amount after attachment, and to subsequently removing the cable tie easily and safely.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many industrial, commercial and residential buildings and offices have or need numerous wires, cables and the like for various electrical and electronic devices including telecommunications, computers, and security. These wires are frequently bundled together during installation in the ceilings, walls and floors. The wires and cables are insulated and any damage to the wire, cable or their insulation may affect the quality and quantity of the transmitted electrical signals. The electricians and installers of these wires and cables generally use cable ties to bundle the plurality of wires and cables and may bundle previously installed wires and cables.
Many building codes do not permit wire or cable or the like to lay on dropped ceilings and required the wires and cables and the like to be bundled and fastened to a building structure. To secure the bundle, cable ties are utilized not only for bundling but also for fastening the bundle to the building structure.
The standard cable tie in use today is a strap or band made of nylon or similar material. The end of the strap or band is wrapped around the wires to be bundled and then inserted into the head. It is tightened by pulling the band through the head. Various devices are utilized to hold the strap in the head as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,544 issued Sep. 29, 1970 for a Cable Binding Strap to Burniston, U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,603 issued Oct. 5, 1976 for a Tie for Bundling Items to Joyce, U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,646 issued Dec. 14, 1976 for Cable Tie and Method for Making Same to Caveney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,512 issued Feb. 22, 1977 for a Band Clamp of Plastics Material to Prodel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,509 issued Mar. 1, 1977 for Cable Ties to McCormick, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,633 issued Mar. 15, 1977 for Cable Band to Seil. In all of these applications, the installer fastens the strap around the plurality of wires, inserts the free end of the strap through the head and then pulls the free end of the strap. In so doing, the installer may over-tighten the strap, causing stress and damage to the wires or the insulation on the wires in the bundle.
At times, it is necessary for an installer to track a particular wire or cable in existing bundles. Tracking is required for a variety of reasons, including damage to wires, damage to insulation, or malfunction of an electrical or electronic device. With a standard cable tie, the installer must remove many or all of the existing cable ties to loosen the bundle so as to enable the tracking of the particular wire or cable. After tracking, the removed cable ties must be replaced.
The changing nature of the building and office environments by the use of new or additional electrical or electronic devices or requirements demands the addition of wires or the deletion of wires in existing bundles held together by cable ties. It is necessary to remove the existing cable ties. In cutting the existing cable ties as described in the above patents, the installer, even though careful, may damage wires or the installation on the wires in the bundle.
Thus, existing cable ties suffer from a number of disadvantages:
a. Over-tightening may result in damage to wires or insulation on the wires and cables in the bundle; and PA1 b. Loosing the cable tie for tracking purposes is not possible. PA1 c. Removing the cable tie from a bundle may result in damage to the bundled wires and cables or insulation on the bundled wires and cables. PA1 a. To provide a cable tie which will protect against over-tightening the wires and cables in the bundle while it is being installed and yet allows the wires in the bundle to be secure and snug; PA1 b. To provide a cable tie which will protect against over-tightening the wires and cables in the bundle while it is being attached to a building structure; PA1 c. To provide a cable tie which may be loosened by a measured amount after it has been installed to avoid damage to the wires and the insulation on the wires; PA1 d. To provide a cable tie which permits removal of the cable tie without damaging the wires or insulation on the wires in the bundle; and PA1 e. To provide a cable tie which may be loosened by a measured amount after it has been installed for tracking of wires in the bundle.